Better Left Unknown
by no dang name is available
Summary: Story 3: Better Left... When the fighting is over, there's nothing left but pain. It was empty. It was lonely. It was numb. AkaKuro break up. Last of this series. Story 1: When Seirin discovers something about their phantom player that should probably have been better left unknown. Story 2: When the Teikou members play hide and seek, some things are better left unasked.
1. Better Left Unknown

**Author's Note**: First KnB fanfic :D AkaKuro. Spin off from the Onsen scene in the video game. :)

(if you want to know what scene I'm talking about search for it in youtube! "kiseki no shiai: In the hotsprings with Akashi")

* * *

"Ah," Kuroko gasped when he realized that it had been Akashi that he was speaking to, "Akashi-kun. You noticed that I was here."

From afar, the Seirin members watched their number 11 talking to the ever-daunting and ever-scary Akashi Seijurou, captain of Rakuzan's basketball team.

"Damn. Just when there's two miracles right in front of us, they're so far away we can't even hear what they're talking about!" Koganei cursed.

"Why don't we just get closer?" Kiyoshi suggested.

"But if Akashi finds out he'd be very angry."

"Hey! Are you scared just because he's a Miracle?" Hyuuga chided. "We're not gonna hear their epic conversation if you think like that!"

"Exactly!" Kagami agreed, "Er. I mean that's right."

"Let's get closer to the edge."

They all inched to the very edge of the springs. Not too close to get noticed but close enough to hear the two Miracles speak.

"... It's been a while since I've spoken to Tetsuya like this," Akashi commented. Kuroko looked up at his former captain and nodded.

"We haven't really had the opportunity to meet up since we graduated from middle school," Kuroko noted, "But now that I think about it, we used to go on training camps together like this during middle school as well."

"Training camps during middle school huh? How nostalgic."

"Akashi-kun hasn't changed a lot since then."

"Is that a good thing?" Akashi raised a brow.

"Everyone else changed. Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, Midorima-kun, even to an extent Murasakibara-kun as well. But Akashi-kun is still the same Akashi-kun. Maybe just a little bit scarier," Kuroko smiled. All of the Seirin members felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. Did the phantom player really just tease the feared Rakuzan captain?

"You hurt me, Tetsuya," Akashi played along, "Am I really that scary?"

"Well, Akashi-kun does have that type of aura."

"But Tetsuya doesn't seem to be scared of me," Akashi pointed out.

"... That's true. But I'm special."

Akashi chuckled and the Seirin members could have sworn that they heard a dog die in the distance. "Yes. Tetsuya is special."

"... Are you really enjoying Seirin, Tetsuya?"

"Of course. Everyone is so nice. Everyone is so funny. And... everyone loves basketball just as much as I do."

"I'm sorry I couldn't make Teikou into the team that you wanted it to be," Akashi lowered his head. Kuroko couldn't see his eyes, he didn't know what his ex-captain was thinking.

"It's not Akashi-kun's fault," Kuroko turned and placed a hand on Akashi's shoulder. "It's no one's fault. It's just how things turned out. But it seems like everyone is enjoying where they are now. Kise-kun seems to really like Kaijo, Midorima-kun gets along well with Takao-kun, Murasakibara-kun found someone that can tolerate his sweet tooth just as much as we all used to, and even Aomine-kun has grown fond of his team."

"...Everyone except me."

"Akashi-kun..."

"I apologize Tetsuya. For turning our conversation into something depressing."

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko wanted to continue talking about it, with the hope that he could fix the problem but Akashi gave him a look that told him to drop the topic. Kuroko sighed and wrapped his arms over the slightly taller teen's shoulders.

Akashi's eyes widened at the sudden act before they softened and eventually closed, accepting the gesture.

Kuroko whispered something into Akashi's ear. It was so quiet that the Seirin members almost didn't catch it. They were unsure at first, but Akashi's response clarified it.

"I miss you too, Tetsuya. I miss everyone."

Suddenly realizing that this moment should probably be kept private, the snooping teens decided to quietly leave the two alone so as not to disturb them.

* * *

**Author's Note 2:** Ugh. Didn't want to write something sad but... these two. God these two are so depressing. So, to turn things and end it in a lighter note... an OMAKE

* * *

**Omake**:

"Their bond really goes deeper than what it seems like on the outside," Hyuuga commented once they made their way out of the springs.

"It's kind of depressing," Kiyoshi added, "They all really were close to each other. It's such a shame that it all ended when they graduated."

"But think about it, if Kuroko hadn't decided to quit, and if they all hadn't gone to different high schools, we wouldn't have met him," Kagami said, "Seirin would have been different. And Kaijou, and Shuutoku, and Yosen and Touou too."

"It may be a blessing and a curse for all of the ex-Teikou members," Koganei mumbled.

"A-ah!" Hyuuga suddenly exclaimed, "What's with this atmosphere? We're all depressed now!"

"..." There was only silence among the members until they heard a loud shout from the hot springs which could have only been their number 11 player.

"A-Akashi-kun! What are you doing?"

Rushing back in, thinking that their smallest member was being threatened, all of the members froze at the sight that greeted them. Kuroko was on the red-head's lap with Teikou's former captain latching onto Kuroko's bare neck with his lips. Kuroko's cheeks were flushed as he clutched on to the red-head's shoulders tightly.

"Forgive me, Tetsuya. It has really been so long."

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko blushed even deeper. "Not here! People can hear us. Or worse, people can see us!"

"Fine. Come to my room tonight then, it seems that we really can't do it here. Even just for tonight, I'm not letting you go again. I'm not letting you sleep either," Akashi smirked.

"Oh, and, you might have some explaining to do for your teammates," Akashi gestured behind him. Kuroko looked at the entrance before stiffening up in Akashi's lap.

"..."

Slowly removing the shorter boy from himself, Akashi stood up and patted Kuroko's hair. "See you later, Tetsuya."

He walked passed the Seirin members with a smirk on his face and bowed politely at them before the smirk turned into something completely sinister.

"I knew you were listening before. You're just lucky Tetsuya's fond of all of you. As such there will be no deaths tonight. But if _any_ of you comes and interrupts us later, I cannot guarantee your ability to reproduce in the future."

Every member visibly shuddered at the subtle threat to their masculinity, feeling the need to protect their genitals from possible castration via scissors.

Silently, they each made a note to themselves to not get in Akashi's way, especially a _horny _Akashi.


	2. Better Left Unasked

**Author's Note**: based on a picture i saw on tumblr where Akashi and Kuroko are playing Hide and Seek (assuming with the other Teikou members) and they ended up hiding in the same place under a desk. Not really romantic, but I guess it could be a viable beginning of a romance between the two.

* * *

It was raining outside and Akashi's plans for a long distance run was ruined. They could have just done their regular routine on the courts had the courts been available, but they couldn't use the gyms that day because their faculty was going to use it to set up for a seminar for incoming freshmen. So, because Akashi was resourceful and because he didn't want to waste a perfectly good day's worth of training, he suggested to play an indoor game.

Initially, his teammates' reactions were that of shock and confusion. Had their scary captain honestly suggested for them to play hide and seek in the school? Not only was it prohibited to be inside the school buildings after hours unless there was a staff member present, but it was _hide and seek _for crying out loud. They didn't know whether to be relieved that it wasn't something more deadly, or afraid that Akashi would turn such an innocuous game into a do or die situation. Knowing Akashi, it was probably best for them to feel the latter emotion.

But alas, the game was just that—a game. There were no tricks to it, just a physical activity that Akashi hoped would strengthen their endurance, agility, and foresight. He tweaked the game a bit so that it resembled a love child of tag and hide and seek. Once the person that was 'it' found someone, the person that was hiding could run away from the person that found them and look for a better hiding spot, but if they were physically caught, they were out.

Naturally Akashi knew he would win the game, but he offered a prize as an incentive anyway. Whoever won the game can ask any one favor from Akashi and Akashi would do it regardless of what the request was. The only condition was that they were not allowed to subject him to crossdressing.

Catching everyone's interest, he got the Generation of Miracles to agree to play hide and seek as an alternative training method.

To decide who was the person that was 'it' first, they played rock paper scissors. The unfortunate one that lost was Kise. And so the game began. The other five Miracles spread out around the building that they were confined in and managed to gain access to thanks to Akashi's manipulative coercion.

"Alright I'm counting up to ten!" Kise called out after everyone had sprinted away. They were also only allowed ten seconds to figure out where to hide.

"One!"

Murasakibara ran the shortest distance away from Kise, knowing that the blonde would be too stupid to realize that he would choose the place closest to where Kise had been counting. For a person who was ridiculously tall, and had outrageously vibrant purple hair, it wasn't too difficult for Murasakibara to fit into a tight corner between a cabinet and a wall. Of course he had to stay upright the entire time, but because he was skinny enough to fit into the small gap, the only thing he had to worry about was his hair sticking out and giving him away. To fix the problem, he placed an empty box over his head and slid a garbage can beside him to hide his body. There were still parts of him that were exposed but he fixed it by placing more empty boxes to hide him.

He was hell-bent on winning the game. And he was also intent on taking advantage of a training that Akashi wasn't personally seeing over. He planned on expending the least amount of energy to get the fullest of rewards. He was going to make Akashi buy him anything he wanted for an entire day. Murasakibara was already dreaming of the mountains and mountains of snacks he'd have.

"Four!"

Midorima ran to the bathroom and hid in a stall. He didn't particularly care for a special favor from Akashi but he did want to win against his captain for once. He knew though that his hiding spot wasn't necessarily the best. He probably could have picked a better place. That and the darkness and the sheer amount of mirrors in the tiled room was really bothering him. Not to mention there was a god-awful smell coming from the stall next to him.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and heaved a sigh. He decided that he'd wait until he was sure that Kise passed by the bathroom before clearing out. Hopefully the blonde wouldn't be fast enough to catch up to him if he got caught.

He just wanted to get out of the damn bathroom already. It smelled disgusting and he could have sworn he saw something move in the mirror.

"Seven!"

Aomine chose to be in the most exposed area he could think of. Sure Kise was an idiot, but he'd have to be absolutely twit to not be able to find Aomine. The tanned bluenette was sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of a hallway just a few feet away from Kise. What Aomine really wanted to do was to see if he could outrun the blonde, not hide from him.

So there he stood, arms crossed, feet shoulder width apart, anticipating the second the blonde rounded the corner, and preparing his legs to break into a sprint at any second.

"Ten!"

Akashi chose a science classroom. It was almost pitch dark in the room except for the street lights outside that barely lit it through the window. It was completely silent too, except for the soft downpour of rain against the glass. In the dark, he maneuvered his way through the chairs and located the teacher's front desk. Seeing that behind it was a space big enough to fit two people crouching down, he walked around the desk and hid inside.

It was then when he realized that he wasn't alone in the room. Looking toward his right, his eyes widened at the sight of the light blue-haired phantom player.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko said quietly.

"Tetsuya..."

Sighing, Akashi sat on his bottom and brought his knees up to his chest before pinching the bridge of his nose. Kuroko did the same but he covered his mouth with both of his hands instead.

_Why am I in the same hiding place as this person? _They both thought. _How awkward_.

For the longest time, the two didn't say anything to each other. When they heard Kise and Aomine run past, they both subconsciously held their breath before releasing it at the same time.

It was then that Akashi found it appropriate to laugh about their situation.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko was confused, he'd never actually heard the red-head laugh for no reason.

"Nothing, sorry. I just thought that this whole thing was quite humorous."

"... Should I find a different hiding spot?"

"If you went out now Ryota would see you. And, no offense to you Tetsuya, but I don't think you can out run him."

"... True. But, wouldn't it be better for Akashi-kun if I got caught? I mean, it would be one less person to worry about winning and making Akashi-kun do something."

"I'd rather it be Tetsuya who won out of all of you. If Tetsuya won, I think I can guarantee that I would not be forced into doing odd things."

"... Perhaps."

"Is that a threat?"

Kuroko only smiled slyly back at his captain. Akashi smirked.

* * *

It was almost fifteen minutes since the game first started and Kise still hadn't found Akashi and Kuroko. They were both getting impatient. They didn't want to leave the room because they both knew that they were too slow to out run the blonde. They both didn't want to lose either.

"... Akashi-kun," Kuroko began, "This is boring."

"... I am aware, Tetsuya."

"I wonder why Kise-kun hasn't thought to check any classrooms yet. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten to this one yet. Or maybe he's still chasing down Aomine-kun."

"... Whatever the reason is, Tetsuya, knowing Ryota, it would probably be a little while longer before he finds us."

"True."

Akashi sighed and got out of the desk. He dusted his clothes and held a hand out to the shorter male.

"Would you like to get up and stretch your legs?"

Kuroko eyed the outstretched palm thoughtfully before taking it and pulling himself up.

"I wonder what's in here," Akashi mumbled to himself out loud as he peered into a lab storage room attached to the science classroom. Turning around to face the startled teen behind him—startled because he had seen yet another rare occurrence when Akashi talked to himself—he pointed at the door.

"Would you like to explore to keep us occupied until Ryota finally locates us? I'm sure there will be something of interest for you in here. Science is always fascinating."

Not knowing how else to respond, Kuroko nodded and said, "Sure."

Akashi opened the door and a burst of cold air hit the two of them. If his speculation was correct, the room was about as cold as a refrigerator. _Perhaps there are specimens in here that must always be kept in cool temperatures._

He turned on the light and saw things floating in jars. Kuroko stared at the jarred objects in awe and wonder. Most of them were floating in clear fluids, but there were some vibrant colors here and there. He could have sworn he saw a bright pink colored liquid in the corner, he vaguely wondered if it smelled like sakura.

Kuroko knew close to nothing about science, but Akashi was right, he was fascinated nonetheless by the floating blobs that somewhat resembled disembodied inner organs of some small creature. Perhaps a cat or a dog. It was creepy, but at least it passed the time.

"Ah, Tetsuya when you come in don't close the—" Akashi paused and sighed. "You already closed the door."

"A-ah, sorry. Was I not supposed to?" Kuroko turned around to open the door again but the knob didn't budge.

"It automatically locks. Actually, I was surprised it was even open to begin with. But, I guess this day is just full of unexpected things," Akashi smiled softly at Kuroko to show that the boy had not been at fault.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko apologized anyway.

"It's quite alright Tetsuya," Akashi pulled out his phone, "We can just call the others and tell them to find us. I'm sure they can get us out of here quickly."

Kuroko nodded and pulled his own phone out.

"Atsushi?" Akashi said into the receiver, "Yeah, Kise hasn't found you yet? Impressive. But that's not why I'm calling. It seems that Tetsuya and I are in a bit of a pinch. We need your help."

Kuroko dialed Aomine's number and waited for him to pick up. He frowned when it went to voicemail. _Maybe he's still running away from Kise-kun_. Then he dialed Midorima's number. It didn't take long for the green haired shooting genius to pick up.

"_Kuroko?_" Midorima sounded startled. Or maybe afraid?

"Ah, hello Midorima-kun," Kuroko greeted, "I have something to ask of you."

"_We are in a middle of a game Kuroko._" Midorima sighed.

"I know. But, well, Akashi-kun and I coincidentally hid in the same place in the science classroom near the end of the hall, and we went into the storage room because it was boring under the desk—"

"_You were under the same desk as Akashi, and you're still alive?_" Midorima sounded incredulous.

"That's rude Midorima-kun. Anyway, we're stuck in the storage room and it's really cold in here so can you help us out?"

"_But if I get out of my hiding place Kise would see me,_" Midorima pointed out. Akashi, who was listening to the entire conversation after his own with Murasakibara ended with a simple "Haaaaai~," felt his vein pop on the side of his temple.

"Tetsuya, give me the phone," Akashi said quietly. Kuroko blinked and handed the light blue phone over to his captain and watched with mild amusement as the red-head's voice turned sinister.

"Shintarou, you will get out of the bathroom, go down the hall to the science room and get us out of this refrigerating room. Got it? Good," He hung up on the other teen and gave the phone back to Kuroko.

"... How did you know he was in the bathroom?"

"Intuition."

"... Haa," Kuroko let out a breath and tilted his head to the side in confusion. _Intuition?_ He shook his head and decided not to question Akashi.

* * *

Five minutes passed and still no sign of the other Miracles. Both Kuroko and Akashi had been shivering at this point. Looking over at the thermostat by the door, Akashi noted that the temperature dropped a few degrees since they came in. _It seems like the cooling is scheduled, _he observed when he saw the timer counting down, _Only about a minute and a half more until the temperature gets almost as cold as a freezer. __Not good._ _  
_

Kuroko was furiously rubbing his arms in a futile effort to keep himself warm. Akashi felt slightly guilty.

"I'm sorry for suggesting to look in here."

"Eh?" Kuroko whipped his head to look at Akashi properly and make sure that he heard correctly, "It's not Akashi-kun's fault. And it's really not like Akashi-kun to apologize."

"I admit my faults when they occur. It's just they happen so rarely that it's not often you hear me apologize. I'm still human, Tetsuya."

"True, but this really isn't Akashi-kun's fault. If anything, it should be Kise-kun's fault for taking too long to find us. He still hasn't even found Midorima-kun and Murasakibara-kun. Speaking of which, where are they?"

"I'll call Atsushi." Just as the words left the red-head's mouth, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"_Ah, Aka-chin?_" The purple headed giant said from the other side of the line. "_Sorry but I might take a while, I'm kinda stuck where I'm hiding too._"

Akashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Atsushi, take the box off of your head first, the game doesn't matter anymore so if Ryota sees you it's okay." Kuroko blinked and thought, _Box? Why would there be a box on Murasakibara-kun's head? Moreover, how did Akashi-kun know that?_

"_... 'Kay. I'll be right there as soon as I get out_."

Akashi closed his phone and sighed before dialing Midorima's number. "Shintarou, where—" Akashi sighed yet again, "Alright. Hurry it up."

Kuroko looked up at his captain and asked, "What was going on with Midorima-kun?"

"It seems that the idiot managed to lock himself in the bathroom. He'd been trying to figure out if he could get out through the window for the past five minutes but it was too small to fit him, it's raining outside, and we're also on the second floor."

"Oh, so how is he gonna get out?"

"How else?" Akashi smirked, "Through the window of course."

"But..." Kuroko stopped himself from asking any more questions.

"Shintarou will find a way. Because if he doesn't, he's dead."

Kuroko didn't want to know why but he was pretty sure he had a good idea.

* * *

A few more minutes passed and the room grew unbearably cold. They were both shivering so badly that they had to consciously keep their teeth from chattering.

"Tetsuya," Akashi's voice wavered a bit from the cold, "Come here," he gestured toward himself.

"Akashi-kun?"

"Don't worry, I won't do anything that will hurt you."

"I-It's not that," Kuroko stammered before taking a step closer. Moving made it even colder for some reason. Maybe it was because they were both wearing light cotton t-shirts and basketball shorts that let air in with every step that they took.

"It's s-so c-cold," Kuroko stuttered. Akashi promptly wrapped his arms around the smaller teen once he was close enough within reach and brought their bodies close.

"A-Akashi-kun?" Kuroko was startled.

"Body warmth," was Akashi's only response. Kuroko relaxed in the slightly taller one's arms and nodded. _Why didn't we think about this earlier_?

It really was much warmer with the two of them sharing body heat.

* * *

Seconds turned into minutes, and as time passed, the two didn't say a word. They just clung to each other for warmth, hoping to the gods that someone would get them out of there. The only thing that can be heard was the constant whirring of the cooling system that kept the room so damn cold. Akashi could have probably turned it off but the thermostat's controls were outside of the storage room.

Akashi figured that punching it would probably do very little to help their predicament, but he was feeling very much inclined to do so.

"Are you alright, Tetsuya?" Akashi asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just cold but it's alright. Is Akashi-kun alright?"

"Ah, I'm the same way. Is your back feeling cold?"

Kuroko nodded, "Yes."

"Turn around, Tetsuya."

"W-what?"

"Let's warm up your back and then when you're alright let's warm up mine."

Hesitant to remove his front from Akashi, he did so and winced at the cold air biting at his skin. He turned around quickly and upon contact with Akashi's chest, he felt his back begin to warm up.

He rubbed his arms up and down to keep them warm too. At this point, he didn't know what to feel. All he knew was that he was cold and he wanted to get out of there. But perhaps, when all of this was over, Kuroko would analyze the situation more carefully. For now though, he just wanted warmth.

After a while, Akashi spoke again, "Let's switch."

Kuroko nodded and winced yet again at the loss of contact with Akashi's body. Kuroko turned to face the red-head while the other turned around and leaned back against Kuroko. The shorter boy wrapped his arms around Akashi's body and held their bodies close. He was a good five centimeters shorter than Akashi so his face met the taller boy's neck. He tried to crane his head as far away as possible so that his lips wouldn't touch bare skin.

"You can turn your head to the side you know," Akashi, as usual, knew exactly what Kuroko had been doing.

"Ah, I didn't think to do that," Kuroko said and followed the suggestion. He turned his head to the side and leaned it on the taller boys' neck.

"Hmm, Tetsuya's face is warm," Akashi noted.

* * *

Finally, after five more minutes, the door was opened and a soaking Midorima panted as he kept the door open. Murasakibara followed behind him and tilted his head at the two shortest players.

"Why was Kuro-chin hugging Aka-chin from behind?"

"Body warmth Atsushi," Akashi explained, "It was cold in there."

"Ah, I see. I thought that Kuro-chin was making a move on Aka-chin. I was thinking I should protect Aka-chin. But then I started wondering if Kuro-chin was forced by Aka-chin to do it. I started thinking that I should protect Kuro-chin."

"Either way Atsushi that's not what was going on."

"Okay."

"Oi, are we all just ignoring the fact that I'm soaked to the bone after miraculously surviving a two story high fall?"

"... Yes," Kuroko stated bluntly.

"Don't complain Shintarou, you're alive aren't you?"

"Yeah—but—... nevermind," Midorima sighed, "Are you two alright? I looked at the thermostat and it was near freezing in there."

Akashi nodded and tossed a towel he found in the supply closet at Midorima. "Dry yourself up. Don't catch a cold or anything. I'll try to look for some fire blankets to keep you warm. You should also change out of your wet clothes as soon as possible."

Midorima nodded dumbly at his captain. Akashi rummaged through more cabinets until he found the emergency fire blanket kit. He tore the bag open and gave it to Kuroko to give to Midorima. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed Aomine's number.

Not even three rings later, the bluenette answered his phone. Akashi could almost see the tanned teen scrambling to answer the call in fear of angering the captain.

"H-hello?" Akashi could tell that he was out of breath from running all over.

"Are you done with your little race with Ryota? You two have been running around for almost thirty minutes," Akashi checked his watch, "Actually, you've been running around for more than that. Anyway, we're going back. There's no winner. Meeting at the locker room before we leave. Tell Ryota. Hurry up."

Akashi closed his phone and looked at the shivering Midorima under the fire blanket before looking at Murasakibara.

"Atsushi," he addressed the tallest of the four, "take Shintarou back to the locker room. Make sure he doesn't take the blanket off, and don't let him slip either."

"Haaai~"

The two taller teens left and suddenly it was only Kuroko and Akashi left in the dark room.

"Did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Nothing really," Akashi shook his head, "I just wanted to thank you for offering me your warmth."

"Ah, I could say the same to Akashi-kun. If Akashi-kun hadn't been there I probably would have frozen to death."

"... Again, I apologize for getting us stuck in there."

Kuroko shook his head, "If anything, I should be apologizing for closing the door."

"Tetsuya," Akashi smiled, "Remind me never to suggest playing hide and seek again. Though I do enjoy your company and I do appreciate your warmth, I would rather not be stuck in the same predicament again. There's also no guarantee that, if this does happen again, you would still be the one I'd be stuck with and not someone else."

"I understand. I feel the same way. If I had been stuck with someone else, who knows how long it would have been for someone to find us. Akashi-kun is really reliable in times like these."

"... I didn't mean it like that, Tetsuya. I'm saying that out of all of you, I enjoy your company the best."

"... Oh. Well, I enjoy Akashi-kun's company too." _Why are things suddenly awkward again? _Kuroko asked himself.

"Let's go back to the locker rooms."

Kuroko silently nodded in agreement.

* * *

Later that night, Kuroko laid down flat on his back staring at his ceiling before he fell asleep. He thought about the events that happened that day, all the new things he learned about Akashi Seijurou, and how he found out that he really liked the feel of the other's body against his.

But maybe it was just because his body was the only warm thing in a freezing room that he liked it. Whatever it was, Kuroko brushed it off and went to sleep. _Yeah, there's no use trying to figure it out. With things related to Akashi-kun... It's sometimes better to have some things left unasked. _


	3. Better Left

**Author's Note: **Only god knows how many times I've rewritten this particular fic. I've finally hopefully reached a fic that I actually like. Hope you do too. I'm supposed to be studying. It's official, I SUCK at writing angst. Sorry to end this in such a bad note. LOL. But this is the last of this particular short story series. I will post more oneshots later on and maybe a multi-chap in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song, or Kuroko no Basuke. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi, and Urbandub. I only own the story.

* * *

Yelling. So much yelling. Their voices raised to levels they didn't even know it could reach. Painful exchanges. So painful that it made Akashi want to cry in frustration, guilt, and hurt.

Kuroko's tears already stained his cheeks. His eyes were red and angry. But when all the words they could have said were already shouted at each other, there was nothing left to say.

_When the fighting is over_

_'Cause our mouths have just run dry_

_As our feelings get colder_

_There's nothing to hold us now_

_Gave all this time just to be let down_

There was only silence.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he fought the tears stinging the back of his eyes. It hurt. His chest hurt. His head hurt. His heart was _ripping in half._ But he didn't want to break down. He didn't want to admit defeat. No. He was not defeated. He couldn't be. He was _Akashi Seijurou_.

He couldn't possibly lose face. He couldn't possibly lose control of himself. Especially because Kuroko had been watching, he wouldn't allow himself to seem weak to someone he loved so much.

If Akashi's composure broke down too, what would become of the teal-haired teen?

He would probably lose his mind.

_Can you explain to me?_

_What has become of us?_

_With words released_

_We can never take them back_

_Not even pleading can save us_

Kuroko wiped his face clean with his sleeves. "I'm..."

_No, please don't say it, _Akashi pleaded silently in his head.

"Sorry." Akashi winced at the word. _Don't apologize. _

The teal haired teen, who had been sitting on the couch after having yelled his throat raw, pushed himself up and wiped his nose with one last sniffle. Akashi couldn't even look at him straight.

"I'm going home for tonight," _I know you mean 'forever,' Tetsuya. _"I'm really sorry I started this argument with you," _You didn't start it. _"And on your birthday, no less," _I don't care about that, just please, don't go. _"I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. Good night..." _Stop apologizing, damn it!_

"Happy Birthday."

_You're cruel, Tetsuya. _Akashi wanted to reach out. To touch him. To feel him. To hug him. To have him in his arms one last time. Because even though Kuroko never mentioned anything about breaking up, Akashi knew that it would never be the same again. The people they once were, were no longer who they are now. They lost their relationship because they lost themselves.

When the door closed shut, Akashi allowed his mask to slip. One brave tear dared to escape the corner of his eye, and once the rest of his tears saw that Akashi had just let the first one fall, they all followed suit. And Akashi could no longer stop them.

The only word he can think of was _Why? _But it was a stupid question to ask. Because Akashi knew everything, it was only natural that he knew the reason _why_. And yet the infallible captain, for once, could not accept his own reasoning. For once, he couldn't accept the result. Because even though he knew the reason why, he did not see it coming.

* * *

It had been a few days since they last properly spoke to each other. If their friends noticed the lack of verbal exchange between the two, they didn't mention anything of it. If their friends noticed the awkward vibe in the room whenever they were both present, they didn't acknowledge it. If their friends knew what happened, they were too afraid to anger either one of them to even begin asking about it. An angry Kuroko was just as frightening as, if not more so than, an angry Akashi. They did not want to risk their lives.

But their friends _were_ concerned, they just couldn't do anything about it.

No one could.

_I know you'll meet someone better_

_But would you still think of me_

_If he can't hold you like I did_

_Would you run back to me?_

_I know this pain shall pass_

_Gave all this time still we couldn't last_

Days turned into months, and months turned into a year. For the first few months Akashi showed no sign of any sort of despair outwardly. It was as if their relationship didn't even exist. As if nothing ever happened. Kuroko was gloomy and quiet, more so than he was usually.

After a while they didn't see each other at all. Akashi made it a point not to be involved anymore. It reminded him too much of everything. From the treasured moments to the painful arguments, Akashi decided to forget it all. Kuroko did the same.

Now Akashi found himself all alone in the world full of worthless beings. He used to be more optimistic. He used to think humanity wasn't so bad. After all, he was a human himself, and_ Kuroko_... was the best person that had ever come into his life. But it was all gone now. He was more bitter. Harsher. Angrier. But the difference had been so minute that people hardly noticed that he was still hurting inside.

People didn't seem to know that Akashi was quietly pining for Kuroko to come back to him.

_How did we end this way?_

_Our promises thrown away_

_All the years we built, broken up_

_See it crashing down_

_I have to say_

_Though alone in this crazy sea of faces_

_It's still your face I wanna know_

They had so many things left to do with each other. They could have grown old together, they could have achieved their dreams with someone they loved by their side, they could have found a way to start a family. They could have been... something. Something other than _this_.

Whatever _this _was.

_Explain to me_

_What has become of us?_

_With words released_

_We can never take them back_

_For all that were worth now_

_Not even pleading can save us_

_Can't save us now_


End file.
